Page last updated on April 28, 2023 at 12:28 pm
Herald Times Guest Column by Mayor John Hamilton
During an energetic local election season, candidates outline how they believe things should change or improve, or highlight perceived failures or shortcomings. One naturally hears critical or negative comments. And our political ecosystems seem to respond more strongly to fear or hyperbole than to optimism or measured reflection.
But as someone not on a ballot or campaigning, I feel compelled to share some optimism and measured reflection, lest we be carried away by negativity.
The truth is that Bloomington today is a great city in which to live, work, learn and play. And our city government is filled with hundreds of dedicated public servants who keep making it better. Our “blueberry in a bowl of tomato soup,” a progressive city in a regressive state, puts our values into action daily through a vibrant democracy.
Here are some truths about our community:
Bloomington has the best public-safety services in the state - period. No other Indiana city has both a nationally accredited police department and a highest-rated fire department. Not one. Overall crime rates continue to decline, and in seven years our firefighters saved 11 people and lost one life to fire – an unprecedented record.
Our economy is flourishing with over $3.5 billion invested and thousands of new jobs created, with local wages climbing faster than peer cities. Bloomington is growing as a thriving hub of innovation with a transformative tech sector economy.
We’ve seen unprecedented recent progress on affordable housing, together creating or preserving nearly 1,400 units of affordable housing, a twenty-fold increase over our previous pace. Nearly 25% of 5,600 new units in our city are affordable units, including over a hundred for supportive housing.
City parks employees earned a second national gold medal because of the amazing Switchyard Park and 30 miles of trails and 2,300 acres of natural beauty and so much more. Our local artists and foodies and musicians have come through the pandemic – with significant public support – and keep our city lively. Unsurpassed quality of life means that people keep coming to Bloomington because it’s a great place to be.
Transformative digital equity and access are also coming to Bloomington. Within a month, thousands of our households will have access to gigabit-speed, net-neutral fiber internet, and nearly every household will have it by next year. Plus, every low-income household in our city will get internet service at no net cost. It’s a first-in-the-nation opportunity and a game-changer for our future.
Our community is addressing the climate crisis directly, as leaders. Our City Council voted to invest unprecedented annual funding in our first-ever Climate Action Plan, and we’ve just launched a regional, bipartisan coalition of three counties working together to lower our carbon footprint and improve sustainability – Project 46.
Like every city in America we face challenges. We must keep addressing gun violence, addiction, homelessness, public health, and more. We must defend our values and our future in the face of a reactionary state government that destroys reproductive freedom, civil liberties, and public education in favor of guns and property rights. And we will.
This is Bloomington. We are a community filled with great people doing great things every day - inside government, in nonprofits, in institutions large and small. Don’t let hyperbole or negativism distract you from the good things going on. Both Indiana University and the City of Bloomington recently turned 200 years old. Over that time, we’ve together created one of America’s great small cities in the hills of southern Indiana. And our future looks even brighter, when we focus on our shared opportunities and our shared destinies. Find the helpers, the optimists, and the visionaries, and let’s get to it.